Untitled Sermon (10)

Can someone read 2:1-2

John is breaking from talking about those opposing the faith and he is now addressing the congregates in a very personal way that also demonstrates his authority over them

Now when we read this it is important to remember, verse 10 of chapter one,” If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” So, we know when John says, he is writing that we may not sin.”

He is not suggesting that we have sinless perfectionism. What he is saying is that one of the victories of Christ at the cross was to give us power over sin. I myself was once a dope shooting alcoholic but the Lord has taken those desires away from me.

So, I have had victory over sin, but I still sin. So, when we read passages like this, we need to recognize the balance that the Holy Spirit is bringing.

And it is even more than that because John is speaking in the third person, and if any man sin, but He switches to the first person- we have an advocate

He is saying that sin is indeed possible for them and for Him also

And if any man do, we have an advocate with the Father

The Greek word for advocate means,” One who appears on another’s behalf.”

It is only used here and then four times in John’s Gospel specifically by Jesus in the upper room discourse used when praying and speaking of sending the Holy Spirit John to be our Helper

The Holy Spirit testifies of Christ and is Christ’s Advocate to the world just as Christ is our Advocate for our justification. The very justification that He obtained for us with His own Blood he is our mediator, our intercessor, and our helper.

At this time Christ is still not in His role as Judge, but also, He is not merely an advocate with the same short comings as me.

Can someone read Heb 7:16,17

“16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. 17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”

The Who is Christ our High Priest. He is a high priest forever after the order of Melchisedc. Melchisedc is the High Priest that Abraham offered a tithe to in Gen 14, so he was before the Law of Moses.

In the Old Testament for the Nation of Israel under the Law it was the Levitical priesthood, Aaron the brother of Moses, the tribe of Levi.

As we all know, Jesus came out of the tribe of Judah, and from this tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

For Christ to fulfill His role as High priest to not only to the Nation of Israel but to all the Nations of the world He world have to be a priest of another order.

The writer of Hebrews explains that Christ’s priesthood is a greater priesthood than Aarons.

In chapter 3 he says, just as the builder of the house is greater than the house itself, so Jesus is greater than Moses.

In the Dispensation of Law, the Levitical Priests would themselves sin and die.

Never actually atoning for sin because every single ritual and act that was done was done looking forward to the day that Christ would fulfill everything and Jesus tells us this is the goal in Matt 5:18

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Again, this is one of the reasons that Jesus is both man and God. Man, so that he can empathize with us and God so that He is forever there to point to His perfect sacrifice. He does not make His sacrifice time and again though.

It was a one-time offering. Can someone read Heb 10:12

Propitiation which means: A means of appeasing. Christ’s blood has appeased a Holy and Righteous God’s anger and wrath toward believers.

Christ is the propitiation And He lives forever to advocate to the Father that His sacrifice be accepted.

Because Christ is our High Priest, we can have full assurance that the sacrifice has indeed satisfied the Father’s wrath and anger toward us who believe.

However, it does say, for the sins of the whole world. Does this mean that everyone will be saved? I wish this was what it meant but it is not.

All men are born sinners, but Christ gives all men the same opportunity. Can someone read John 1:12 please?

Again, it comes back to Jesus, and what you believe about Him and His work.

We all have to make that accept the free gift. Like Pastor said, if you don’t accept the gift, it does you no good. It is a personal choice and everyone will end up on one side or the other.

Either you will believe that the Creator came down and lived a sinless life and died as the sacrifice for our sins. Or you won’t.

It is once we understand and truly believe what Christ has done and understand that we are forgiven and have peace with God, it is when we believe this that we will start to live out our salvation in victory.

Read Colossians 1:3-6

This is why it is so important that we be in fellowship with the Father and Son through the Holy Spirit so that by revelation we can know the grace of God in Truth and that is when our faith will produce the desired fruit.

Eph 2:6 tells us, we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies. We have to rest on our foundation and for me it is like a three-legged stool.

The first leg is the Word of God because without it I couldn’t know anything as Truth or Error.

The second Leg is the Person and Work of Christ.

It is only because of what He has done on my behalf that I have peace with God.

And third because I have peace with God, by the Holy Spirit I am able to take everything to Him in prayer.

It is the second leg that John is dealing with here in verse two.

We know our salvation is ultimately in the hands of Jesus Christ the Righteous, it is His faithfulness in being my advocate that I can take comfort in.

He has done all the Work and He is the forever going to make sure that His work is accepted thereby forever making sure that I am accepted.

It is because of these Truths that I want to serve Christ as my Lord.

Thank You Jesus.

If anyone is having troubles in life, I can almost guarantee one of these legs is not in place.

It is when we are firmly resting in these three things the Word of God, Christ and His Work, and praying by the Holy Spirit that we will be able to walk in a way that is pleasing to Him who called us.